The present invention relates to inventory databases and, more particularly, to customer access to information about the inventory.
Businesses supplying products and services to customers may maintain distribution channels for fulfillment of product and service requests. Distributors may rely on retailers or other agents who ultimately interface with the customer. Often, the distributors maintain a database relating to the inventory or services being provided. The database may include customer information, inventory data, and the like. The distribution of wireless devices and accessories is typically provided by a manufacturer to a customer using distribution and/or fulfillment centers and retail interfaces. Wireless handset manufacturers may, for example, produce various models and brands of handsets for different wireless operating systems or protocols. The handsets are typically procured, stored, and kitted for shipment in a distribution or fulfillment center. The customer purchases wireless devices, accessories, and service through a carrier at a retail interface such as a retail outlet, or by telephone, facsimile transmission, mail order, Internet, and so on. The retail interface may involve carrier operations and/or third parties such as agents, dealers, resellers, or the like, who operate the retail outlet, or, in the case of telephone, facsimile, mail order, or Internet ordering, an order processing facility. Regardless of the fulfillment method, the relationship between the wireless communication customer and the carrier of wireless services starts with a service contract. The service contract enables the customer's wireless equipment to access a wireless transmission system, enabling the customer to send and receive calls, for example. The service contract also enables the carrier to bill and collect fees for use of the wireless system by the customer. A wireless telephone handset is associated with a unique identifier, such as an electronic serial number (ESN), usually assigned by the device manufacturer. A second unique identifier, such as a telephone number or mobile identification number (MIN), is assigned by the carrier for use in connection with the handset. The MIN is programmed or otherwise loaded into a memory of the handset. The carrier uses the ESN and the MIN to activate the wireless device for recognition by the carrier's wireless system. As online and remote services become more mainstream, customers, including retailers, continue to seek more efficient, seamless methods for purchasing inventory. Information sought may include the availability of inventory, the price of an item, and the status of an order. Business customers, in particular, need to be able to translate information regarding a purchase, available inventory, and so on, into a report. Not only do customers desire reports on demand, but also reports that are tailored to suit the particular business practices and needs of the customers. Distributors, likewise, hope to furnish customer report requests without expending resources inefficiently. To date, the distribution of information regarding available inventory, prices, and order status has been the responsibility of the distributors of the goods/services. The distributor may respond to a request for information from carriers, agents, retailers, resellers, dealers, and so on. Some distributors provide information via telephone, while others post selected information on a web site, or deliver messages by electronic mail (email), facsimile, or regular mail. Regardless of the method of dissemination, the distributors, at a great expense of time and resources, are the purveyors of the information regarding the orders, shipments, sales, and delivery of the goods/services, to the requester. Similarly, the distributors of goods/services are responsible for the receipt and acceptance of orders for the goods/services. Typically, standard order forms are generated or the orders are taken over the phone. Again, it is the distributor, not the requester, who expends the resources to receive and fulfill the orders. Current systems for ordering wireless communication products and services are time-consuming and inefficient. For example, in a typical transaction, a customer initially requests a wireless communication device through a carrier such as a retail outlet. The carrier receives the request and forwards the request to a distributor, such as a wireless communication distribution or fulfillment center. The distributor selects the requested device from the available inventory, optionally programs the handset with the MIN and kits the handset with the accessories, and ships the device to the customer, possibly through the carrier. Ultimately, both the carrier and the customer are “customers” of the distributor. Likewise, obtaining reports pertaining to the purchase of wireless communication products is typically cumbersome. For example, where a customer wishes to check on the shipping status of the wireless device, the customer contacts the carrier who contacts the distributor to make the request. The distributor processes the request, then sends a report back to the carrier, who submits the report to the customer. For a simple status report, several people may be involved. Even where the carrier seeks information from the distributor, without the involvement of any end customer, an inefficient expenditure of resources and time may occur. In any case, such reports are wholly in the control of the distributor, rather than the carrier or customer. The distributor, not the carrier, determines the timeliness, the format, and other characteristics of any information conveyed. Thus, there exists a need for a method and system that enables end user customers to place orders and access particular information, including reports, using the customer's resources.